CARBON DIOXIDE AS AN

ACCLERATING ADMIXTURE TO
CONCRETE FOR ENHANCED
STRENGTH AND GREENER FUTURE
PROJECT MEMBERS:
1) 1) AMARJEET KUMAR SINGH (1MV16CV004)
2) 2) NIKHIL K. (1MV16CV031)
3) 3) SHEKHAR RAJPUT (1MV17CV030)
4) 4) SHUBHAM SHINDE (1MV16CV048)

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

PRADEEPA S.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING,
SIR M. VISVESVARAYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BENGALURU
 INTRODUCTION

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions are on rise

With 32 Billion tons of co2 released by fossil fuels
and Industry in atmosphere in 2020.

• The construction industry alone contributes to

38% of total CO2 emissions in the world.
• CO2 in liquid form can be used as an admixture to concrete.
• The reaction between CO2 and cement while mixing creates finely
distributed Calcium Carbonate reaction which affects subsequent hydration.
• On adding CO2 as an admixture to concrete, main calcium silicate phases in cement were shown
to react with carbon dioxide, in the presence of water, to form calcium carbonate and calcium
silicate hydrate gel.
3CaO·SiO2 + (3-x)CO2 + yH2O → xCaO·SiO3·yH2O + (3-x)CaCO3
2CaO·SiO2 + (2-x)CO2 + yH2O → xCaO·SiO3·yH2O + (2-x)CaCO3

Further any calcium hydroxide present in the cement paste will react with carbon dioxide as:
Ca(OH)2 + CO2 + H2O→ CaCO3 + 2.H2O
 LITERATURE SURVEY

• 1) Properties And Durability Of Concrete Produced Using Co2 As An

Accelerating Admixture - Sean Monkman a, * , Mark MacDonald a , R.
Doug Hooton b , Paul Sandberg c
 Carbon dioxide was investigated for use as a beneficial admixture to
concrete as it was truck mixed. The optimum dose of carbon dioxide was
found to reduce the time to initial set by 40% and increase the one and three
day compressive strengths by 14% and 10% respectively.

 2) Mixing CO2 With Concrete – Effect On Early Hydration – JOEL

ANDRE, CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SWEDEN.
It suggests that addition of CO2 in concrete results in increase of heat
of hydration, but non substantially with maximum dosage of CO2, the
difference in heat of hydration was observed to be 1.2 degree celcius .
• USING CARBON DIOXIDE AS A BENEFICIAL ADMIXTURE IN
READY-MIXED CONCRETE - S. Monkman , M. MacDonald ,
R.D. Hooton
• . The use of waste carbon dioxide in the process offers a
means to upcycle the CO2 as a beneficial additive to
concrete that could be widely employed throughout the
built environment.
• The strength increase is attributable to the reaction of
carbon dioxide with the cement very early after hydration
started.
 OBJECTIVES

 To investigate the use of CO2 injected concrete with its

feasibility and workability.
 To test the properties of CO2 injected concrete such as initial
and final setting time, compressive strength, Slump, Tension
test etc.
 Compare the test results of CO2 added concrete against the
standard reference concrete.
 To assess the constructive environmental and economical
footprints of CO2 as an admixture to concrete.
 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE TESTS CARRIED OUT BY DEPT
OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, TORRONTO AND CARBONCURE
TECHNOLOGIES

• A CO2 injection system delivered carbon dioxide into a ready-mix

truck during batching and mixing of concrete. The carbon dioxide was
thereby absorbed into the concrete and formed stable, finely
distributed nano-scale carbonate reaction products.

• Compressive strength and resistivity were measured at ages from 24

hours to 91 days. Strength improvements up to 14% at 24 hours and
26% at 58 days were observed.
• The use of waste carbon dioxide in the process offers a means
to upcycle the CO2 as a beneficial additive to concrete that
could be widely employed throughout the built environment.

• The main calcium silicate phases in cement were shown to

react with carbon dioxide, in the presence of water, to form
calcium carbonate and calcium silicate hydrate gel.
• The optimum dosage of CO2 estimated with evaluation of all
the experiments carried out is less than 0.30% and in the
range of 0.05%-0.15% of CO2 per 100 Kg of cement used.
• A tank of liquid CO2 was connected to a gas control system and
manifold. The liquid was metered for injection into the mixing drum
whereupon it converted into a mixture of CO2 gas and solid carbon
dioxide snow.

• The carbon dioxide was delivered, at a specified flow rate over a fixed
injection interval, into the truck whereupon it reacted with the
hydrating cement before the concrete mix was completed. The
concrete was then subjected to assessment and testing.
DESIGN MIX OF CONCRETE
• CO2 is injected with increasing dose of 60,90,120 seconds.
• Mix design used in trial was designed to achieve a 35MPa
compressive strength in 28 days.
• CO2 was administered with 0.05% ,0.15% and 0.30% in terms of
weight of weight of CO2 by weight of cement.
• Air entraining admixture was added in the dosage of 23 to 25ml/100kg
of cement.
• Tests were carried out by casting 100X200 mm cylinders for
compressive strength at 1,3,7,28,56,91 and 182 days.
OVERVIEW OF ADMIXTURE AND CO2
IN BATCHES DURING TRIALS
 INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIME

Against standard reference concrete batch, CO2 injected concrete on

average of all the trials conducted, reduced initial setting time by 22-
28% and final setting time by 21-25%
 HARDENED PROPERTIES

• The average compressive strength measured for each

carbonated condition across the five test ages for the first
trial is given in Figure 3. Each data point represents the
average measured compressive strength in MPa with the
relative comparison to the corresponding control value
displayed as a percentage.
 EARLY AGE COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTHS AT 1,3 AND 7 DAYS
LATER AGE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTHS
AT 28, 56, 91 AND 182 DAYS.
 ISOTHERMAL CALORIMETRY

• The carbon dioxide injection did not appear to have any effect on the
induction period. The acceleratory stage of hydration for each sample was
underway by 4 hours. By 7 hours the heat evolution of the carbonated
samples occurred at an increased rate (as noted in a shift to the left of the
shape of the curves) where the effect was greater with the greater dose of
carbon dioxide.
• The amount of hydration after the 0.15% dose of CO2 was essentially
equivalent to that observed in the reference concrete, while the highest dose
showed a slight decrease in total hydration at 40 h.
NORMALIZED POWER DURING EARLY HYDRATION
VIA ISOTHERMAL CALORIMETRY OF BATCHES
PRODUCED IN FIRST READY-MIX CONCRETE TRIAL
 CONCLUSIONS

• Industrial scale experiments assessed the viability of adding small doses of

carbon dioxide to a ready-mix concrete production cycle in order develop
performance benefits associated with the in-situ development of carbonate
reaction products. Isothermal calorimetry indicated that hydration could be
accelerated. Compressive strength results suggested that a strength benefit of
20% at 3 days, 16% at 28 days and 26% at 58 days was achieved with an
optimized dosage of carbon dioxide supplied at the wash rack. In practice this
could potentially be a single optimized dose of carbon dioxide provided at the
job site. Delivery of carbon dioxide into the concrete during batching resulted
in retardation in the 7 to 13 hour timeframe but small acceleration beyond 14
hours.
• The strength was 26% better than the control at 3 days, 15% better
at 28 days and 18% at 56 days. Bulk resistivity, an indicator of
permeability, was not changed by the carbonation. The difference
in heat evolution between the two dosing approaches hinted at
possible differences in the reaction product formation. The
approach potentially can offer strength benefits or allow for
cement reductions. Several avenues of investigation are being
pursued to further characterize the mechanism of the reaction,
understand variations between dosing approaches, and complete a
broad durability assessment program.
• CO2 injected concrete does not result in carbonated concrete,
so it raises no concern regarding steel erosion.
• Injection of CO2 to concrete causes a positive effect on
concrete durability based on all the research and tests
conducted.
• The addition of CO2 in concrete did not result in any variation
against standard concrete in terms of fresh properties such as
slump, air content, and temperature.
 POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

• Using CO2 as an admixture to concrete will result in

overall reduction of CO2 present in atmosphere as we are trapping CO2 in
concrete.
• Because of carbonation reaction that's taking place due to addition of CO2 to
concrete, the additional compressive strength is achieved.
• Amount of cement to be used in concrete can be reduced.